Over the Rainbow
by iwritebadbutdealwithit98
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir are finally dating, but there's just one thing... Ladybug still hasn't given the OK for losing the masks. Ladybug finds herself the most frustrated of the two of them but still gets cold feet. The least she can do is make it up to him somehow.
1. Wishing

_Somewhere over the rainbow_  
 _Bluebirds fly_  
 _And the dreams that you dream of_  
 _Dreams really do come true_  
 _Someday, I wish upon a star_  
 _Wake up where the clouds are far behind me_  
 _Where trouble melts like lemon drops_  
 _High above the chimney top_  
 _That's where you'll find me_

Ladybug's jaw stretched into a yawn so wide it made her jaw crack. She grumbled and snuggled further into Chat Noir's arms. It was past midnight, the air was warm, and it was quiet aside from the soft nightlife buzz. Their scheduled patrol had ended two hours ago, but by the look of Ladybug's body language, she didn't have any intention of moving.

Chat Noir squeezed Ladybug's arm."It's getting late, I think it's time we went home for the night."

"Technically, it's not late. It's just really early," Ladybug tapped his chest playfully.

She wasn't even trying to make a good excuse. Chat had noticed Ladybug lost all reason when she was tired, even a bit silly. Almost as though she were tipsy.

"My sense of humor seems to be rubbing off on you. It's definitely bedtime, My Lady. Besides, I have to wake up at six o'clock. So, at the very least, I have to get some sleep."

Ladybug sat up and stretched. "What do you have to do that's making you get up early on a weekend… in the summer?"

Chat Noir stood up and smiled, "Trade secret."

"I really hate leaving you. Wish I could be with you all night on a cozy bed instead of a hot roof," Ladybug got up as well, winding her arms around his biceps and kissing his cheek.

He tilted his torso towards her, as though her hands pulled down on his arm with an irresistible force. "I wish it could be that way, too. But this is the price to pay for choosing to date as masked heroes."

Ladybug's eyes fell to the floor. It had been roughly six months since they had started dating, and five years since they met for the first time. Yet she still hadn't worked up the courage to reveal their identities to each other. Chat Noir was so patient and understanding, he didn't show any regret or intention of pushing her.

"I'm sorry, this is my fault."

Chat flinched, taking hold of Ladybug's shoulders. "No! I didn't mean it that way. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are, I still get to see you everyday and that's all that matters."

"But you deserve more. We should be going on dates and dressing up for each other, meeting each other's friends and going on double-dates, having sleepovers…"

"I couldn't live with myself if I pushed you to do something you weren't ready for," Chat lifted Ladybug's chin with his index finger, "I can wait as long as you need me to, My Lady, even if I have to wait till we're old and gray."

She laughed. "Oh, I can promise you it won't be that long," she hesitated, "I'd be too old to have kids."

Chat Noir's eyes widened, both intrigued and embarrassed. "So, you do want to have a family then?"

"Of course." Ladybug turned and held her hands to her chest, "I've even got names I'd want to use."

He shuffled nervously. "How long have you been thinking about this for?"

"Since… well since I was given my first baby doll I guess. So long before I understood the idea of childbirth," she giggled.

"Ah… so long before you met me."

Ladybug turned back to look at Chat, taking easy steps toward him. "It might've been a general fantasy before but you gave it more… development."

Chat blushed. He stuttered as Ladybug's hands climbed his chest and rested around his shoulders, "I- s-so you'd raise a family with me?"

"Yeah, I'll put a ring on your hand and then we'll live together and try for babies over, and over, and… I hope you don't mind being stuck with me for the rest of your life."

Chat Noir swallowed hard. "Why would I ever mind? It's been my dream."

They stared at each other, the rest of their thoughts left unspoken. They knew where the conversation was going, and it was only going to make leaving more bitter. It was only going to make them regret each other's secrets more. Slowly stepping away from each other until they're linked hands were stretched out between them, they waited for the other to leave first.

Ladybug sighed loudly, startling Chat Noir out of his daze. "I guess we shouldn't drag this on any longer, huh?"

"Well, don't say it like it's a goodbye. It's only a goodnight," Chat slid his hand out of hers, letting it fall to his side. "Although, I wish there were some way I could say goodnight to you right before you close your eyes."

Ladybug turned her face away, catching her chin between her thumb and index as she watched the streets below. She glanced down at her yo-yo, then to Chat, and back to the street. Her eyebrows were knit together and her lips were pursed tightly.

Chat waved his hands hastily, "I-I'm sorry, I brought it right back around to… let's just go home before I say something else stupid, ok? Goodnight, Bug-"

"No, I think I have an idea… but it's risky and it can't be a habit. Maybe even just for tonight. W-which sucks, but I guess it could be a taste of the near future?" She hoped, at least. So much of her wanted to just give in, reveal herself, and be a normal couple. But there was the tiniest bit of resistance; similar to the rush of excitement at the entrance of an amusement park water slide, but allowing others to go ahead of you when your turn was up. It was stage fright. But that made it sound as though she felt a level of uncertainty, which couldn't be further from the truth. She trusted Chat Noir fully and wanted the rest of her life to be spent with him.

That was the problem, it was Chat Noir's face that she was used to. It didn't matter what he looked like, but it felt disorienting to imagine him looking any different. Obviously, she couldn't expect him to walk around wearing a mask and sclera lenses, but that was his face, the face she grew attached to. She had a feeling she'd seem a bit off around him before she could adjust, and she didn't want him to take it personally or think she didn't like him anymore.

A small problem with an easy solution… how infuriating that it still held her back.

"What'd you have in mind?" Chat Noir's tail twitched nervously.

Ladybug took a deep breath, looking down at her folded hands. "Stay transformed for a few minutes when you get home. When we get close, we'll message each other. Once we're both near home, we slip into our rooms and well… make believe, I guess," she smiled fondly, then looked up with sincerity, "But we have to promise each other we won't look at the location tracker."

Chat Noir eyed her warily, "Are you sure? If we get caught…"

"We won't. We'll be careful. My parents rarely visit my room out of nowhere, and I'd be able to hear them coming up the stairs anyway. What about you?"

"I'm normally alone, I should be able to hear someone coming too… it's so quiet in my house that I could hear a crumb roll off the table from a different floor," he laughed stiffly.

In that moment, as his laugh scraped up her spine like nails on a chalkboard, Ladybug almost changed her mind. She almost revealed herself right there. At the very least that part was easy. She could take him home and snuggle him all she wanted; who would notice he was gone? What was she thinking, letting him be alone over cowardly assumptions? But that would be out of pity, which might also upset him.

"So, we're doing this?" Chat continued, extending his baton as he started turning away again.

Ladybug nodded. "See you soon."

They both jumped in different directions, hurrying home just a little bit faster than usual.

Ladybug rushed around her bedroom as she held her yo-yo in one hand, thumb hovering over the call button. She threw her clothes - she had temporarily detransformed to get ready for bed - into a hamper and switched off all of the lights except the ones above her bed.

She sighed with relief as she leaned against the giant cat-shaped cushion at the head of her bed. She pushed down on the call button and sat up a little straighter as she framed her face within the view of the front camera. A few seconds later, her camera shrunk down to a picture-in-picture on the bottom right, and a lovely face appeared on the full-screen. They'd agreed to quickly detransform and go through with their regular bedtime routine so they could feel more comfortable, and she could see he'd decided to take a quick shower. His damp hair hung over his eyes, more disheveled than usual, and his cheeks blushed due to the steamy water. His room was completely lit, but it was dim, as though there were mood settings. Behind him were tall windows, his tail occasionally swaying over them. His shoulders were pushed forward and the edges of his pillow peeked from the bottom of the screen; he was lying on his stomach.

"Oh, my~" Chat's eyebrows bounced as he brought his hand to his chin, "I can't believe this is the first time I see you with your hair down."

Ladybug tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Well- aaAAck!" her eyes shifted down to her video-chat window, where she noticed the wall behind her and immediately slipped onto her back. Aside from the nightlight and a couple of books, the shelf held a dried red rose and her handmade Chat Noir plush. Beneath the shelf were pinned up sketches of Chat Noir and Chat Noir themed designs, and in the far corner hung one of the pictures of Adrien she had yet to take down.

"Woah, woah! Are you hiding something, Bugaboo?" he grinned, "could it be… that drawing of me I glimpsed?"

"Oh no…" she facepalmed. She hoped that was the only thing he caught, otherwise her secret identity was completely and utterly fucked.

"Aw, don't be embarrassed, that's cute~"

But it was still embarrassing.

Ladybug snuggled into her bedsheets and grumbled. "I'm glad you liked it…"

"Wait, I didn't get to see it that much, can I see it again?"

"Actually, I just realized my camera was pointed at a wall that has a lot of personal stuff on it, so I was worried it'd give me away."

"Oh," Chat Noir glanced over his shoulder, "alright, guess I'll roll over." He turned over with the camera, revealing his dark gray sheets. "You have nice covers by the way, much better than mine. Pretty and pink, just like you."

"Hold on, did you just use bedsheets to imply I'm prettier than you?"

"I did, and there will be no arguing about it, you're very beautiful."

"Yes, but if we're comparing ourselves to our bed covers… you're gorgeous, can't say the same for your thunderstorm-gray bed."

"And in comparison to yours, that's how much superior your beauty is to mine-"

Ladybug grinned. " Please , don't even start with me. I'll admit that I'm cute but you're absolutely heavenly."

"I'm glad we agree that you're cute, but I think you forgot to carry the three, so in reality you're-"

Ladybug giggled,"Why are we even discussing this when we need to address your depressing bed sheets. What's up with that? They don't suit you at all!"

"Well, what does suit me?"

"Hmm…" she scanned him up and down, watching him pout curiously. "Probably something niche, like an anime print."

"Hey!"

" PFff , sorry!-"

"You know me really well, huh?" Chat tilted his head playfully.

"I should hope so…" Ladybug paused, "well, why don't you have something like that, then? An anime bed set or something"

"My father would probably rather I jump off a building than own something as distasteful as anime bedding."

" What ?!"

"I was… kidding-"

"No- I mean, you don't have control over how your room - what physically represents your heart and soul - looks?!"

Chat looked to the side, the corners of his lips turning upward slightly, "Heh… I don't even have control over what I wear," he paused at the ungodly sound erupting from Ladybug's mouth, "but it's ok, I can only be controlled to a certain extent right? The closet isn't mine, but at least I can choose what I take from it."

"Is your closet just a million shades of gray or something?"

"Fifty, actually," Chat grinned.

Ladybug snorted. "Maybe what you're wearing now."

Chat feigned offense, placing a hand over his chest. " Well. "

His face slipped into a crooked smile, "But no, it's got plenty of color. The clothes chosen for me is…" he chose his words carefully, "so I look my best at all times and… represent my family."

" Represent your family ? So, what, you look really uptight all the time?"

"It's still casual clothes…"

"Do you like it?"

"Enough. At least I can mess things up out of spite. Nothing drastic, but not what you would call fashionable."

Ladybug squinted as if to say 'I'll be the judge of that'. "Like..?"

"I've got these bright orange shoes-"

"Say no more," Ladybug cringed.

"Wait, wait, orange shoes can look good!"

"If you have a good sense of color."

"And I so happen to think I do," Chat slipped his hand behind his head, then jumped up suddenly and pointed at the screen, "except in this case, and that's the key."

He smiled as he prepared to tell a joke. "My father might look down on me but he hasn't noticed my shoes-"

"Hey, can I be honest?" Ladybug frowned.

Chat Noir blinked. "Sure…"

"I don't like how your dad sounds, why is he like that?"

"You wouldn't be the first. What's there to say? He's just like that. I mean there might be a reason, but I don't know if I can tell you that much detail… until, you know."

Ladybug shifted, her camera shook as she brought her legs under the blanket and lowered her head to the pillow. "Yeah… ok. Well stop joking about him like that, makes you trick yourself into validating his actions."

"Oh… yes, madam."

Chat watched her pull the blanket and comforter over her shoulders as she turned on her side. She snuggled in and brought the camera closer to her face. "About time you got some sleep?" He looked towards the top of the screen, 2 o'clock, he would get four hours of sleep, but that was alright with him.

Ladybug's eyes widened. "Oh man, I'm eating up your sleep time, I'm sorry… uhh, are you tucked in?"

He chuckled. "No, just laying on my bed."

"Well, go on! Get under the covers, you should be nice and cozy."

"I am."

"No one looks that good when they're really comfortable," she smiled at him. He held the camera directly above him, his chest was pushed out and his hand was behind his head, he looked picture ready.

"Then you must be really uncomfortable," he winked.

"Chat!"

"Ok, ok!"

Ladybug huffed at the sight of the gray comforter draped over his shoulders. "You need more color in your room…"

Chat tapped his bottom lip. "That's what you'll be for in our future. You'll add some color to my room. What will you wear for me? Pink lace? Or green to match my eyes?"

She lifted her finger, "Be right back, I'm gonna ask Tikki how to smack you through the communicator."

Chat Noir snickered and she continued. "Anyway, by that time in our relationship, you're coming to my place."

He squished his face into his pillow, his mouth only turned upward enough to speak. "No problem with that."

Chat Noir yawned, Ladybug following soon after. "Get some sleep, Chat Noir."

"You too, Bugaboo."

"Goodnight."

"Night." After a long pause of staring at each other Chat Noir smiled awkwardly reached forward, "Guess I'll hang up-"

"How about we just detransform instead? We'll see each other until the very last moment…"

"Ok."

Ladybug counted to three, and they both whispered their commands. The lights shone beneath them, crawling up their legs and to their waists. Ladybug wondered if lifting her arm would make the call last a little longer. She wondered if there were a way to accidentally see each other's faces. The light swept over her hand, it seemed like fragments of Chat Noir's face fell to her empty hand. She pictured the black fragments as Chat Noir's hand grasping onto hers, but she blinked and he was gone. Nothing but her empty hand, her fingers flexing in his absence.

Marinette flipped onto her back. She sighed and waited for Tikki to settle into the pillow beside her, a macaron snack settled between her paws.

"Tikki, there's so much I want to give him, and so little holding me back. Look at him, always so cheerful. His home life is… suffocating, his room looks like a glorified prison cell, and we barely get to talk so peacefully. How do I fix all of these problems quickly but without rushing into things I'm not ready for?"

Tikki hummed before swallowing a bite-full. "For one, I think you shouldn't blame everything on yourself and take full responsibility. Although he would appreciate it, he wasn't really crying for help."

"Still, I'm Ladybug, I'm supposed to fix everything."

"There isn't really such a thing as fixing a life, only building up from it. Maybe you can do something to lighten things up for him."

" Lighten. Tikki, that's a great idea!" Marinette closed her eyes tightly, attempting to fall asleep quickly. "I can't wait for tomorrow. Goodnight, Tikki."

"Sweet dreams, Marinette."

 **Ha, I missed July by two months oh well**  
 **tbh tho, I had some ideas to keep going with this even after chapter two... so maybe it's worth being late, maybe I'll make a collection.**

 **I hope anyone who was stressed felt warm and fuzzy the way I did writing it.**  
 **I should go off to work on a project and study and all that jazz, but this wouldn't get out of my head, I couldn't ignore the call!**

 **Hey, I might have shamelessly squealed at my own writing, let's see if it matched up with anyone else. What part made you squeal or want to squeal? Also, does anyone else want that lamp? Because I sure do... it exists btw, but I have no fabric** money : **/ that was really sweet of Mari tho, that was probably like at least 25 yards worth of some average material.**


	2. Upon a Star

**oK so I caved and I had to post it**

"Where are we going, Marinette?"

Tikki clung to the inside of Marinette's clutch as they rushed down the sidewalk.

"Somewhere I couldn't stop thinking about last night, Tikki."

"To the fabric store?"

"Nope!"

"Then how come you brought your fabric savings money with you?"

Marinette seemed to shutter a bit. She was breaking her own 'spend-only-on-fabrics-and-materials' rule, but what else could she do? It was the biggest amount of money she had saved. "For Chat."

She stopped in front of an electronics store. "Ok, we'd better hurry, we'll be meeting up with him soon."

"You're seeing him in twelve hours…"

Marinette smiled and blushed, "I know!"

"You've become so sappy ever since you started dating, I like it. The new chapter of Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"I'm sure you've seen plenty of stories like ours," Marinette lowered her voice as she walked down the aisle of camera equipment. She glanced to the signs that hung above each aisle, searching for the correct department.

"Each story is different and always exciting."

Marinette stopped in front of shelves of bluetooth devices. "Let's hope this makes for an even happier story," she poked a silicone display, "Aw, this one's cute, it looks like a cat!"

"What are these?" Tikki gestured to the particular shelf Marinette was interested in.

"It's… actually, instead of telling you, I'd rather show you when we get home," Marinette beamed, still pinching the silicone cat subconsciously.

"So are you getting that one?"

Marinette sighed reluctantly. "No… it's a bit too obvious. And if the rest of Chat Noir's room looks like what I got to see, I doubt he has such cutesy decorations. He needs something more simple, sophisticated… something- like _this_!"

She plucked a box from the shelf and held it triumphantly for Tikki to see. On the front was a picture of two rectangular prisms glowing in different colors.

"Are these matching lamps?"

"Yes, and they're perfect. It might not seem like much now, but just you wait!" Marinette marched towards the front of the store where the cashiers were.

"Marinette, these are a bit pricey…"

"That's ok, it's really not that much when you think about it. I'm completely sure about this. I can't wait to see the look on Chat Noir's face, he's gonna be so surprised."

"What's this?" Chat Noir blinked down at the wrapped box with wide eyes. "Don't tell me I'm forgetting our anniversary… I swear it was our six month anniversary a few weeks ago…" he scratched the back of his head. They were just about to part from their patrol for the night, Chat Noir had asked about a video call, and out of nowhere Ladybug pulled out a gift box and handed it to him. He must've been forgetting something or- was there such a thing as breakup gifts? Was she breaking up with him?!-

Ladybug laughed. "No, no, I just… figured it was something we needed as a couple."

Chat Noir stared at the box, observing the shape. He looked up and smirked, "Is this something inappropriate? My Lady, oh my~"

"Chat!" She smacked his arm, "no, it's for your room. It'll make everything look a little more colorful but also blend in enough that you won't get in trouble."

He smiled fondly, "You're wonderful, Ladybug, what'd I do to deserve you?"

"Literally everything," Ladybug stood up on her toes to kiss his forehead.

"Ah, but I wish I had a gift for you."

She winked at him and jumped onto the ledge of the roof, "Your gift to me will be setting that up when you get home, I've already sync- I mean, just set it up and you'll see!"

"Set it up?" Chat Noir mumbled as Ladybug lept away. That got his attention. What was she up to? He must've said something that worried her, which wouldn't be surprising since he has that effect on all of his friends. Her comment made his imagination run wild on the possibilities of what was in the box. Needless to say, he burst into his bedroom and stumbled onto his bed, desperate to rip the packaging off.

"Plagg, detransform me," he called between rips of the wrapping paper. "What do you think it is?"

"I dunno," Plagg drawled as he curled onto a pillow, "but I think you're a little too excited. You should probably calm your expectations down before you get disappointed."

Adrien pressed his fingers into the crease of the lid and pried it open. "Plagg, it could be a paperclip and I wouldn't be disappointed."

"Well, so far, it looks like a lovely brown box."

"It's been repackaged, don't be a smartass."

"No, I'm serious, it's a lovely box," Plagg's eyes dilated.

"Oh," Adrien peered up at Plagg, watching his tail swish curiously. He chuckled, "Yes, you can have the box afterward."

Plagg sat up, his tiny paws pressed into the cushion with intensity. A few moments later, Adrien tossed the oblong box in Plagg's direction, prompting him to immediately fly inside and lay down.

Adrien turned the item over, detangling the power cord. "It's a lamp."

"How enlightening." Plagg muttered.

Adrien smiled. "Let's see…" he reached under his desk and plugged the lamp in, it glowed a light blue. "How do I change the color?"

A small manual jumped out of the box, Plagg had thrown it. "Give it back when you don't need it anymore, I have business with that chewy paper."

"'Long Distance Friendship Light'?" Adrien flipped through the pages, "it's Wi-Fi connected, Ladybug must have one too…"

He quietly followed the three steps required to connect the lamp to his Wi-Fi. After strobing many colors for a few seconds, it settled back to blue.

The lamp switched to pink, Adrien watched it curiously, then back to the manual. "'When your lamp changes color, it means your friend has touched theirs. You can respond by touching the lamp with an open hand', oh!" Adrien leaned forward and patted the top of the lamp; it immediately turned green.

Adrien's heart started to pound, a faint blush coloring his cheeks as his eyes watered slightly. His own emotional response caught him a bit off guard. He expected to like the gift either way, but not to this extent. Here he was, close to tears over a lamp. Just one small lamp was filling his big, empty room. "Ladybug is with me."

Marinette stared at the blue light. She stayed still, kneeling on her bed, arms propped on the shelf that hung from her wall. Any minute now it would shine brighter, just as soon as Chat Noir connected. Of all the things Marinette had seen in her life, this was oddly exciting.

"This was a wonderful idea, Marinette!" Tikki beamed, bathing in blue light.

"I just hope it works out," Marinette didn't take her eyes from the light, "this could be absolutely perfect."

Marinette jumped as the blue light became brighter. "Look, Tikki!"

Tikki brought her paws to her cheeks, "Touch it!"

Marinette nodded. "I'll let him know I'm here." With just a second of hesitation, Marinette placed her hand on the light, watching it turn pink. She continued to watch the light before leaning forward and placing a kiss on it, a gentle enough touch that she wouldn't change the color again.

As if Chat Noir had felt her kiss, the light turned green. Marinette sighed dreamily, resting her chin on the shelf. "Goodnight, Chaton."

 **yeaH iM probably gonna come back to this universe. They haven't revealed even after this chapter so I feel like I should address that, right? I'll make a series instead of more chapters, what do you guys think?**


	3. Chapter 3

The akuma was sending beams of light in various directions, the usual. This time they were upset at their rebellious teen for continuously sneaking out. They aimed for apartment buildings, condos, homes— putting them all on lockdown. It made Chat Noir snarl for reasons Ladybug didn't know, but could take a guess.

They took to high ground, trailing the akuma by rooftop. As Chat Noir slid, Ladybug flipped. They were swift and rhythmic. A team with an unstoppable force of harmony. So strong that even if they were a little bit off their game, no one would really notice. Even if Ladybug were feeling a bit sluggish and uncomfortable and hadn't told Chat Noir. She could deal with it and no one would be the wiser. She just had to shake off the slight haze and get her head in the game. It was probably something she'd get over in an hour or so. Probably just needed a nap or a soothing cup of tea and a bath. She'd been under a lot of stress lately, it wouldn't surprise her if she was on the brink of the common cold.

Still, with every swing of her yo-yo, every twist and turn of her body in midair, it slowly felt worse. At some point at which she had not noticed exactly when, a pain blossomed in her abdomen. Perhaps indigestion. Ladybug stumbled as hurdled a chimney, Chat Noir blinked back at her curiously. She was beginning to feel nauseous with a pain so great that a bear's paws thrust into her stomach— curled, thick paws twisting about her insides and tangling her muscles —could rival it. Finally she felt it. Like the eerie dance of a poisonous snake.

A shiver ran down her spine, her face was plastered with panic. "Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no!" She reached into her yo-yo, "I don't think I have one, I never thought to… oh God, what's going to happen? Can my suit-"

"Is everything okay, My Lady?" Chat Noir stopped and jumped down from the building ahead when he saw Ladybug had stopped running.

Her gaze fluttered about, landing on anything but Chat Noir. "Well…" she looked up at him suddenly, her face pale and eyes wide. "No! I need something from home, but I can't get to it if all of the houses are on lockdown!"

Chat Noir stepped closer, in a sense of submitting himself to her orders. "What do you need?"

"Oh, um…"

He tilted his head at her curious expression. "Ah," he reached into his front pocket, "is this what you need?"

Ladybug flinched slightly at the sanitary pad he held between his claws, "... yes. Why do you…"

"I have a girlfriend now, and I vowed to take care of her. I always carry things just in case," he smiled.

Well, he hadn't quite vowed yet. He was way ahead of himself, but Ladybug could definitely see herself exchanging those vows someday. His kindness and devotion warmed her heart.

"This one, or this one?" Chat plucked a tampon from his pocket with his other hand.

Ladybug reached for the tampon, "I guess this be better if I'm going to be jumping around."

Chat furrowed his eyebrows as he put the pad back and dug around for some pills. "Are you sure you're not gonna sit this one out?"

Ladybug reached for the two pills and water bottle that Chat presented her with, her hands trembled as she took them and her forehead was beaded with sweat, "Where do you have the room for all of this? Of course I'm not going to sit this out, I still have a responsibility. It's typical for all women to plow through no matter what, you know? We have to."

"My pockets are bottomless just like your yo-yo," he chuckled, then stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder, "but you know, you don't always have to plow through. If you want, I can handle this and bring the akuma to you."

"No, I can do this I just—" she threw her head back as she drank from the bottle, "—it's been a while since the pain has gotten this bad, so I'm not one-hundred percent readjusted. Normally I notice symptoms and take pills before it can reach this point ."

Chat Noir shook his head as she winced. "Ok, but… I'll be keeping my eye on you."

"You should worry more about the Akuma.."

"Ah, ah," he wagged his index finger, "you won't be changing my mind."

"Fine." A dead silence fell between them as Ladybug looked around. "I have no idea where to go put this on."

"Huh? Oh!" Chat whirled his head around in a similar fashion. His eyes fell to the chimney. "Would it be enough if you hid behind that and I covered you and made sure the akuma doesn't come our way?"

"I…" Ladybug stared nervously at the chimney, "I guess… if you think about it, people have Done It here, so…" She shuffled over to stand by it.

Chat blushed a little but nodded as seriously as he could. He stood facing away from Ladybug, legs planted boldly and arms slightly lifted from his side. His eyes shifted back and forth, discouraging any onlookers. Ladybug crouched slowly, curiously eyeing Chat Noir's protective stance. The muscles of his back were taut and his breathing was steady. In all honesty, was doing everything he could to make her feel safe. She took a deep breath and spoke for her transformation to be let down. It wasn't any less embarrassing to know that no one was looking, but she was comforted by Chat.

She looked down at herself and groaned. She felt filthy. And her hands too… she couldn't just get up and go, she strained her face as she checked her purse knowing there was nothing that would help her entirely. She muttered a bit and without much prompting, Chat Noir jumped as if he remembered something, reached into his pocket, and brought his hand behind him so that Marinette could take the packet of wet wipes. She asked him if he had planned for this, he replied that he was always prepared for anything. He really was amazing. He deserved the world and so much more. He deserved the reveal he wanted so much. When she got up to transform, she hesitated. She almost told him 'ok', before she was ready. While she was still Marinette. She had to whisper the command— even though she knew his cat ears would pick it up either way —because she felt so ashamed to say it.

"Okay, I'm ready. Thank you, Chat Noir."

He turned around steadily, his vibrant eyes reaching her with its gentle smile before his lips did. "Anything for you, My Lady. Let's go take this guy down."

Ladybug nodded, walking forward to take Chat Noir's hand, partially because she felt the urge to and partially because the pain killers had yet to settle in and she felt a bit weak. Either way she refused to leave Chat alone. They both depended on each other now and then, and it was good, they were stronger together. As her adrenaline pumped, she felt better every minute.

She was just as fierce as ever. Chat Noir and her took the akuma down before they knew what hit them. Ladybug sighed with relief as her surroundings returned to normal. The nightmare was over.

"I wish there was somewhere we could both go to spend the rest of the afternoon. But our homes are a giveaway and a hotel would stir rumors we don't need. Just promise me you'll take the rest of the day easy?" Chat pet Ladybug's head.

"Yeah, I know. I swear I'll melt right into my bed and watch tv."

"And eat sweets! That's the one thing I didn't have on me, turns out a quart of ice cream does not hold up well in these pockets, not refrigerated I guess…"

Ladybug laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. See you, Kitty." She reached up and kissed him.

He watched her zip away.

Slipping through her skylight, Marinette noticed a message waiting for her. A soft purple glow from her lamp, changed from the yellow it had been earlier. She didn't need a decoder to figure out he was checking in on her. Marinette rested her hand on the lamp, pretending it was Chat Noir's cheek, and watched it turn orange. With a kiss, it turned red. She chuckled at the coincidence.

Yes, she was doing just fine. She loved her Kitty very much, and she knew he loved her too.


End file.
